Vegas Remixed
by jtjaforever
Summary: AU - Response to Camy's LJ Beya Vegas Challenge to write the Vegas ep the way we would like to see it. Detective John Sheppard investigates a series of strange murders in Las Vegas.
1. Chapter 1

This story was inspired by pygmymuse on LJ. I made a suggestion to her she took it in one direction and the muse tapped me on the shoulder and encouraged me to go another way. Also Camy's Beya Vegas Challenge mocked me and Camy has been hounding me...so here you are 8D. Can't promise timely updates due to RL and the muse, but we will see where this takes me. No beta so all mistakes are mine.

As for the characters, don't own them can't afford too...my pension is gone thanks to Wallstreet. With that said, PTB please don't sue.

On with the story:

Chapter One

Detective John Sheppard bent over the shriveled body of the newest victim in a bizarre ongoing murder case. The condition of the body the same as all of the other victims with two exceptions…the victim was in an alleyway in a seedy part of Vegas and he had a gun. The hand holding the gun looked as if it had been crushed by some great force leaving the weapon lying upon what had once been firm flesh. The telltale marks on the chest seemed to follow the pattern found on the other victims of what Sheppard was now starting to believe *was* a serial killer. What didn't make sense this time were the locale and the weapon. The other victims had all been found in the desert and there was never any indication that there were weapons involved. So, far they had been able to keep this thing under wraps, but with the crowd gathering on the sidewalk behind him he knew there was no way to circumvent the media this time. Crap.

John turned his head from the body to look at the man that Ronon was interviewing. The homeless man that happened upon the crime now sat, shaking so bad John thought his teeth would start to rattle, except he was talking too fast for that to happen. He caught bits of the conversation about pale demons and John had to wonder if the guy had gotten a hold of a bad batch of stash along with the alcohol that tainted his breath.

"I'm not crazy I tell you or high. Sure, I had a little something to drink, but I know what I saw."

"A little… something? How about you tell me again what you *saw*", Ronon asked in that deep growl of his John recognized after years of working as his partner as frustration. Maybe, it was time he asked a few of the questions.

"I already told you," the man shouted standing on shaky legs frustrated & defensive. Ronon was about to pounce on the guy when John stepped in.

"Well, you haven't told me, so why don't you say it again…just for the record," replied John with a pointed stare in Ronon's direction.

The man settled back down wrapping his baggy coat around his body as if it would ward away his intoxicated nightmare.

"Like I told Tarzan of the Apes here," he nodded his head in Ronon's direction which elicited a growl from said Ape man, "I heard gunshots and went to check them out."

"You always been such a good Samaritan?"

The man turned his attention back to John. "Well you hear stuff around here all the time, but this was different. Several shots back to back like someone empting a clip and then this blood curdling scream. I went to see what was going on and when I got there was this man, at least I thought it was. Anyway, it had this kid crushed up against the wall with his hand pushed against his chest. I knew this kid from the hood, bad sort always getting into trouble. Well, he couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen, but as I stood there he aged until he looked like he was over ninety. That thing was sucking the life out of him. All I knew was I wanted to get out of there. I was backing up, trying to be quiet and didn't see the trash can behind me. I stumbled over it and the thing turned on me and would have gotten me too, if that police car hadn't come around the corner with alarms blaring. Thank god, someone must have called in the shots, so it took off. I don't think I would ever say this, but I never been so happy to see a cop in my life."

"You said you thought *it* was a man. What made you change your mind?" John asked.

"When it turned on me its eyes, it had these weird yellow eyes. They looked a little like a weird kinda of insect or a cat high on meth, take your pick."

"Yeah, you would know about meth", huffed Ronon.

"Hey," the guy pointed a finger at Ronon indignantly, "I don't do drugs. I've got a reputation in this neighborhood to protect."

"Right"

"Gentlemen, if we can stay on track here." John snapped his fingers between them to get their attention. "What else did you see?"

"The hand that was pressed to the kid's chest was covered in blood, but I could see some kind of slit in the palm. And those shots must have been from the kid's gun because that thing's chest had bullets holes riddled in it and it didn't even look fazed."

"Huh, huh", Ronon said with an eye roll as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know what I saw I tell you" the man shouted at Ronon again pointing a finger in his face.

John shot him a look. "Okay, tell you what buddy…what's your name?"

"Rodney. Rodney McKay", the man lifted his chin proudly.

"Okay, Rodney," John said putting a hand on the man's shoulder and steering toward a patrol car. "We're going to finish up here, check out a little more of your story. Meanwhile, I'm gonna let that fine officer over there take you to the station. You can take a nap, maybe have something to eat. How about that and we'll talk again." John waved the officer over.

"But I didn't do anything. Why am I going to jail? Here I am trying to be an upstanding law abiding citizen and I get dragged off to jail."

"Listen, we can do this nice like my partner suggested or you can do it my way," growled Ronon, "take your pick."

"Humm… I get something to eat you said?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure of it. Thomas, make sure that my friend Rodney gets a meal on me when he gets to the station."

"Sure thing, Sheppard," Thomas said as he lead the man to the car, the guy ranting about not being crazy the whole way.

"You don't really believe that story do you?" Ronon asked hands on his hips.

"Well, I believe he saw something, but *what* is another thing." John rubbed his hand though his unruly hair, working it up some more. He walked back over to the body, bent down and picked up something turning it around in his finger, it was a bullet casing.

"One thing is sure; someone did empty a weapon here. But there are no holes in the wall indicating a misfired shot or blood, not even the victims. And this body certainly fits the pattern of the other's we've found so far."

"Yeah, but they were found in the desert, not some back alley in some slum hood of Vegas. Maybe, it's a copycat." Ronon rubbed his chin bending over the body and examining it more closely.

"Lorne said he wouldn't release the information about the other murders to the public until I gave the go ahead, so no one knows. All we need is a panic about serial killers. I trust him to keep his word, he has so far."

"Sheppard !"

John turned toward the voice calling his name and watched as his friend walked toward him with recorder in hand.

"Speak of the devil."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

John sat and watched as Captain Carter looked over their report on the latest murder victim. Samantha , Sam Carter had only been with the department about a year, but John had come to find that she was a hellva person to have in your corner when the going got tough. Sure, they didn't always agree, but at the end of the day they wanted the same thing…the bad guys caught and justice.

Blond, bright and attractive she had been the topic of more than one locker room discussion. John had to admit that thoughts of pursing more than a "business* relationship with Sam had crossed his mind. Sam however had made clear to all that she did not mix business with personal matters at least not in her command. Their had been talk about a possible relationship between her and Commissioner O'Neill but he wasn't going to speculate on that either.

"So how much credence are you giving to this, let's see…," Sam ran her finger down the page, " Rodney McKay's story? He was intoxicated when you found him and from what Ronon reports here maybe just a bit… psychotic?"

John turned his head and looked over his shoulder at Ronon leaning against the office door giving him a point glare. He merely shrugged and gave John a smile.

John turned back to Carter. "Yeah, well drunk yes. A little weird and strung tight maybe. Psychotic I think would be pushing it. After he got some food into him, quite a lot it seems," John rolled his eyes at the sound of Ronon's snort, " and some sleep we were able to get a little more information from him."

Sam continued to scan the report. "He describes the perpetrator as what he thought to be a white male *maybe* with long hair wearing gothic clothes and weird yellow insect eyes?" Sam looked up at John with a raised brow.

"Well, we did find a pair of sunglasses in the alleyway that could have been used to disquise the eyes or the perp may have some kind of deformity."

"Or he could have been wearing some of those weird contacts," interjected Ronon, " you know what the freaks like to wear."

"Yeah that," John snapped his fingers.

"Hummm, yes. Well putting that aside, what about this man draining the life out of this boy…Michael Kenmore?"

"Beckett was able to ID the victim from his prints, they happen to match some we had on file. On that note McKay was right, the kid had been in a lot of trouble, in and out of juvey over the past 3-4 years."

"So, what would have been the perpetrator's motive for killing this kid Kenmore? If this is the same man that has been responsible for the other murders why risk detection by killing in the city? And why now and how?"

Ronon moved forward putting his hands on the back of the chair next to Sheppard "We think the kid was trying to rob the guy when it all went south on him."

"Yeah," piped in John. "The gun had an empty clip as just like McKay described hearing. So even if the guy had taken off he should have been easy to track, but he wouldn't been able to travel that far with all that lead in him. At the most we should have had a trail of blood indicating he had been hit. We got nothing."

"Doesn't answer the *now and how* part," Sam said placing the file neatly on her desk.

"Well that's what we're working on," John said leaning forward in his chair and rubbing the back of his neck.

Sam folded her hands together and spoke firmly. "Well gentlemen I suggest we move quickly on finding those answers because the media is going to have a field day with this thing. One of the papers this morning broke the story and is calling him the 'Reaper". This is this city's busiest time of the year we don't need a panic over a situation that can and *will* handled. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am"

" With that said use whatever means at your disposal to get the resolved."

"John, may I have a moment please," Sam asked as the men were about to leave.

"Sure," he said.

"Catch up with you later," Ronon nodded as he stepped out closing the door behind him.

"What's up?"

"John, I know your friend Lorne has been trying to keep a tight lid on this thing…"

"And doing a damn good job to it too up to now," John huffed a little indignant.

"Yes, I know and it doesn't go unappreciated, but what has happened has opened this thing to the public eye and the consequences… Well, I don't need to tell you."

"Ya I know," John said running his hand nervously though his hair.

"Just do your best, okay," Sam smiled, "but the quicker the better." A small chuckle escaping her lips on that note.

John gave a quick quirk of the lips in response. "On it boss." With a nod from Sam he left to hunt up Ronon.

As John rounded the corner, he scrubbed his hands over his face scratchy from the need to shave with a glance at his watch 16 hours ago. He sighed. Coffee, he needed coffee and sleep, but now the coffee would have to do.

John grabbed his mug off the counter and poured a nice big cup savoring the aroma. Someone cared for him because it was fresh, not that it would have stopped him from snagging a cup, but this was going to make it just more enjoyable.

Passing the vending machine his stomach remained him it too had needs and the thought of a bun with the coffee sounded good about now. While he was at it he might as well get one for Ronon too otherwise the big guy would go though his before he would even get a bite. Grabbing the last bun from the machine, John was almost knocked down sending hot coffee spilling over his fingers.

"Oww, FORD. Hey watch it buddy. This is a restricted speed zone you know."

"Oh man Shep, my bad," Ford said trying to lend assistance, "It's just I'm running late. Off to meet a contact."

Ford was new to the department having taken his test for detective fresh from the academy. The kid was nice and sharp, John really liked him and he had the markings of a good cop. But, Ford tended to be a little reckless, he called it playing by the seat of your pants. However John knew better and you couldn't afford reckless in this business.

"No prob, just slow down, okay." John was about to walk off when Ford called back.

"Hey Shep, you got quite a looker waiting on you . Don't know how you do it man."

Before John could get the question out Ford was out the door with a flip of a hand. Shaking his head John walked into the patrol room and sure enough a woman sat at his desk in conversation with Ronon. At this angle all he could see was that she was petite, with hair the color of wheat flowing softly over her shoulders. As he drew closer he caught a smell of something sweet yet spicy - her.

Ronon stood. " This is my partner, the one I mentioned to you."

"Brought you something, " John said handing the bun to Ronon before fully turning to face the woman when he did he had to remember to breath.

"Sheppard, this is Ms. Emmagan , Teyla Emmagan. She thinks she may have some information that may help us with our case."


End file.
